Re: Trying to Get Past the Welcome Page after Reinstal (XP)

See this article from Symantec. System Restore will many times not work as it may have backed up infected files. You say that 138 files were infected. Most of these were probably Windows executables and even if you ran a removal tool and deleted all of them, you would have to then re-install them from the Windows CD - a daunting task. If the system is as messed up as you suggest, I would recommend a reformat and a clean install. Also, tell your client to keep his virus definitions up to date. Obviously, his McAfee was not "current". This virus surfaced in November, 2003.

JohnA Child's Mind, Once Stretched by Imagination...Never Regains Its Original Dimensions

Trying to Get Past the Welcome Page after Reinstal

I regard this as a Windows problem as the result of a virus know as W32/NGVCK.a

My client called yesterday. He has a Dell Dimension 4550 purchased 2-25-03, with Win-XP Home and current McAfee.

He had accidentally opened a worm-infected e-mail and got w32/ngvck.a. When I got there yesterday, he had 138 infected files identified by McAfee. I could not identify the specific virus, so it did not make any sense to remove or quarantine them (although in retrospect, maybe we could have done so). Many could not be repaired.

Here is what we have done:

1. Because there were so many infected files (many windows files), we used System Restore back to February 23rd in hopes that we could go back in time before the virus attack.
2. System Restore seemed to work properly, until the reboot. We could not get to the Welcome page to login.
3. We also tried safe mode. Same result as in normal mode.
4. Tried to boot from the Win XP using the Recovery Console, with no results.
5. Tried to boot from a Norton Emergency Boot disk. No good.
6. Finally we reinstalled Windows from the Win XP reinstallation CD Service Pack 1. (There are two Administrators and no passwords.)
7. Got to the Welcome page. After clicking on the Administrator, the settings begin to load. After a few seconds, it stops and logs off with no apparent results. *** We are still unable to get past the Welcome page.***
8. Backup Administrator does not work.
9. Nothing in the BIOS seems to indicate problems there.
10. XP seems to have been registered properly with MSFT.

To sum it up, I am stumped and have few alternatives other than to turn to you or reformat.

Re: Trying to Get Past the Welcome Page after Reinstal

I agree with Rebel.

A format with a clean install is the way to make sure you have ALL of the infected junk out of the system.

With a virus that old, did your client ever RUN the AV program or just have it sitting there hoping for the best? If heshe isn't the type to remember to RUN the AV, then it's best to have it set to run on a scheduled basis often enough.
The same with updating the virus definitions lists.